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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26571034">Quilts and Crawlspaces</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/as_with_a_sunbeam/pseuds/as_with_a_sunbeam'>as_with_a_sunbeam</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Modern AU [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hamilton - Miranda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:55:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,280</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26571034</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/as_with_a_sunbeam/pseuds/as_with_a_sunbeam</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eliza has some big news to share with Alexander. It doesn't go quite to plan.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Modern AU [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/920697</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Quilts and Crawlspaces</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Bets?” Alexander set his briefcase down by the door, toed off his shoes, and started loosening his tie as he looked around the living room for signs of Eliza. “Honey? Where are you?”</p><p>He heard her voice, muffled and distant, and started down the hall towards the sound.</p><p>“Bets?”</p><p>“I’m here!”</p><p>He turned the corner and found her legs braced against a rickety step ladder with her body half wedged in their crawlspace attic. Hurrying towards her, he reached out, his hands hovering around her nervously. “What are you doing?”</p><p>“I’ve been looking for my grandmother’s quilt all day. I think I finally found it, but it’s caught under this…” she trailed off, grunting with effort as she pulled at something. The ladder wobbled unsteadily.</p><p>“Honey, I don’t like this.”</p><p>“Worry wart,” she muttered.</p><p>“It doesn’t seem very safe.”  </p><p>“It’s fine,” she said, yanking harder. The ladder wobbled even more. “I almost have it.”</p><p>He placed his hands on her jean-clad hips and his foot on the first step, hoping his added weight would keep the ladder in place. “Why don’t you let me try?”</p><p>She adjusted down a step to improve her angle, then tugged again. A thunderous crash echoed overhead, boxes toppling over as the quilt came free. The force of her tug sent her elbow flying backwards to land hard in his face. He yelped with pain.</p><p>“Oh my God, sweetheart, I’m so sorry!” She whipped around towards him, overbalancing on the unsteady ladder as she did and toppling down into his arms. She landed hard on top of him. The ladder turned over on its side with a bang as they both laid on the floor, panting.</p><p>He let out a shaky exhale as he stared up at her. The quilt dangled from the ceiling overhead. “Ow.”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” she said again, readjusting herself atop him. Hissing sympathetically, she lightly pressed at the skin around his eye. “Are you okay? Oh, sweetheart, your eye. That’s going to bruise.”</p><p>“I expect so.” His eye socket was hot and throbbing from the impact of her elbow. “But it’s fine. It’ll match nicely with the bump on the back of my head.”</p><p>“I’m so, so sorry, honey.”</p><p>“Are you okay?” He ran his hand through her hair, scrutinizing her for injury.</p><p>She smiled. “Fine. You broke my fall quite nicely.”</p><p>“Glad to be of assistance.”</p><p>“Anything else hurt?” she pressed, pushing away from his chest to examine him.</p><p>“I think I’m okay.” His back didn’t feel particularly good, but still, he’d take a little soreness over Eliza’s suffering any day.</p><p>“Good.” Kissing him tenderly, she stroked at his cheek and began to push herself off him. “Come on, lets get you up. We’ll get you an ice pack.”</p><p>Accepting her hand, he levied himself off the floor with a groan. He braced a hand against his back and looked up. The quilt was still swinging from the crawlspace overhead, and he reached up to pull it free. A loose box came crashing down with it, falling at great speed within an inch of his head. Eliza let out a shriek and yanked at his hand to pull him away.</p><p>Books from the now ripped cardboard box were scattered across the hall. Swallowing, he looked over at her and commented, “I think we might need to clean out the attic.”</p><p>She laughed as she wrapped him in a hug. “I think you’re right.” Another stray book fell to the floor from above, and they jumped back. She took his hand again, encouraging him to follow her. “But later. Let’s get you taken care of first.”</p><p>He folded the quilt over his arm as he followed her towards the kitchen. She sat him down on a chair before retrieving a plastic baggie from a drawer and filling it with ice. Wrapping a dish towel around the bag, she held the pack to his temple gently and began to prod at the knot on the back of his head.</p><p>“Ow!”</p><p>“Sorry,” she said. “I just want to be sure you’re not bleeding. Do you feel sick? Any dizziness?”</p><p>“No concussion. Just a little bump,” he assured her. His eyes cut to the quilt he’d draped over the chair across from him. “Want to tell me what’s so important about this blanket?”</p><p>She kissed the top of his head affectionately. “It’s tradition.”</p><p>“To attempt to murder your husband for a blanket?”</p><p>She laughed. “No. To add a square for each new member of the family.”</p><p>“I thought you already added one when we first got engaged?” That was the last he’d seen of the quilt before it had been tucked up in the attic with their other seldom used possessions.</p><p>“I did.”</p><p>He craned his head back to look up at her, his brow raised.</p><p>She wrinkled her nose. “This isn’t the way I’d wanted to tell you. I was going to make a candlelight dinner, you know, something special. Memorable.”</p><p>“Oh, I think I’m going to remember this just fine.”</p><p>“Because you’re all beaten up! It was supposed to be memorable in a good way!” </p><p>“Bets,” he pressed.</p><p>She sighed. “I took a pregnancy test today.”</p><p>Sitting up straighter, he turned in his seat to look at her. His heart started hammering in his chest, anticipation making him tingle all over. “And?”</p><p>“Positive.” Her shoulders raised in an endearing little shrug. “We’re having a baby.”</p><p>He let out a whoop of joy as he surged up to embrace her. She laughed as he squeezed her, lifting her feet up off the floor. “That’s amazing!”</p><p>“It is.” She leaned into him as he placed her back on her feet, her arms tight around him. “I’m glad you’re happy.”</p><p>“So happy.” He rested his cheek against her hair, still cuddling her to him. His eyes snapped open a moment later, however, as he considered the events of the past few minutes in the light of this new information. “Are you insane?”</p><p>“What?” Her brow wrinkled as he pushed her away from him, holding her by the shoulders.</p><p>“You could have died! What were you thinking?”</p><p>“Well, I didn’t think it would be quite that hazardous to pull a blanket out of the crawlspace. And really, I wouldn’t have fallen if you hadn’t been standing behind me.”</p><p>“How is getting elbowed in the face suddenly my fault?”</p><p>“It’s not,” she rushed to say. “But I’m fine. You were there to catch me, like you always are.”</p><p>“But what if I wasn’t!”</p><p>“You were. My hero.” She touched her fingers to his rapidly bruising eye again and winced. “Poor baby.”</p><p>He shied away from her touch and pointed a finger at her. “You’re never going up there again.”</p><p>“While I’m pregnant?”</p><p>“Ever! In fact, we’re moving.”</p><p>A little smirk started at the corners of her lips. “We’re moving?”</p><p>“Yes. To somewhere that has a nice, safe basement for storage.”</p><p>She snorted, her shoulders shaking with laughter. “I love you.”</p><p>“I’m serious.”</p><p>“I know.” She bumped her nose against his and pressed a kiss to his lips. “That’s why I love you.”</p><p>He grunted, feeling his mood softening even as he grumbled to himself. His arms fell to her hips again, his thumbs stroking gently over her belly. A touch of awe swept over him again.</p><p>A baby. They were having a baby. He smiled.</p><p>Eliza’s thumb traced over his cheek again. “Oh, baby. Your eye is already turning. How are you going to explain this to Senator Washington? He’s going to have a heart attack when he sees you tomorrow.”</p><p>His face promptly fell.</p><p>Oh dear Lord, that was not going to be a fun conversation.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For a request to see Eliza telling Hamilton about her first pregnancy in my modern AU. I was in the mood for something a little lighter and funnier with these two. Hope you enjoyed! </p><p>Thank you for reading! Feedback always appreciated!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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